Midnight hours
by kiwi333
Summary: Jay and Erin take on a case that they never thought they would be exposed to...childcare. May be more than a oneshot
1. Chapter 1

Jay and Erin entered the district in their normal fashion, hand in hand until they were close enough to the building that their partnership came before their relationship. Quickly they dropped hands and were ready to face the day that was about to unfold before them.

"Boy toy! You and dimples need to come over here for a minute." Platt called out to Jay and Erin as soon as they got within yelling distance of her desk. They two glanced at each other trying to figure out what they had done or didn't do to warrant the attention they were receiving.

"Something we can do for you?" Jay said hoping that whatever it was would be quick, Voight needed them upstair to help sort out a gang war that was claiming the lives of many children.

"No I just called you two over so I can bask in the sight of your faces this fine morning. Of course I need you two for something." Platt said in her usual sassy manner. Jay rolled his eyes slightly hoping that Platt did not see him and cause him more greif.

"And that would be…..?" Erin asked knowing that whatever Platt had in mind for them to do was probably going to cause them to miss out on the day ahead of them in intelligence.

"There is a safe heaven kid here, I need you two kids to look after it untiol social services has the chance to get here." Platt said picking up a baby carseat and planted it on her deak. The partners glanced between each other trying to think of anything that could try and get them out of it.

"How long will that be?" Erin asked glancing in the carseat and saw that there inside was a baby probably 6 months old asleep inside.

"Did we not ask anything when this child was dropped off?" Jay said not understanding what could be going through soemone's head when they left their child somewhere.

"It will probably be a couple of hours or so. And for you dective dense, the whole point of a safe heaven is that children can be dropped off in a safe environment without any questions asked. Just take the kid and set your selves up in the breakroom. There should be some baby supplies in the supply closet." Platt said giving the baby over to Erin and went back to work.

"You heard the lady, let's take the baby and run." Erin said taking the child with her towards upstairs in order to inform Voight about what was going on.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Woah….did you two forget to inform us about something a couple of months ago?" Ruzek said to Jay and ERi8n when he caught sight of the baby between the two of them.

"Shut it Ruzek, can one of you tell Voight that Jay and I have to stay behind today to keep an eye on this little one until social services arrive." Jay said, deep dwn he knew that one day him and Erin would probably have kids one day but to hear someone comment on it made him feel at unease inside.

"I'll tell him, by the way I think that the kid is about to wake up and I sure as hell don't want to hears the cries that occur when that happens. I suggest that you two find somewhere quiet and stay there for a while." Antonio said glanicing at the baby who was squirming in the carseat now.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"So I guess that we can't keep calling this kid "kid" forever." Jay said, gazing down at the child in his arms. He had tried to get Erin to hold him but she did not look the most comfortable with the baby.

"By all means then you can find out." Erin said looking somewhat uncomfortable around the child. It wasn't that she didn't like children because she did, she just had a gut feeling that kids just didn't like her.

"Erin I have seen you around kids before, heck I have seen you around Justin's kid before. What is the big deal right now?" Jay said, he was no baby whisperer but he was doing a whole heck of a lot better than his partner was right now.

"That's different, with Justin's kid I can give him back when I am done with him or he is done with me. But this child only has us right now, there is no giving him back because no one wants him." Erin said trying to get across the point that this child had no one but her and Jay in this moment.

"Come on Erin, all I am asking for is help with one diaper. I will ever do all the dirty work." Jay said grinning at her.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Well I guess that this little guy is officially a guy." Erin said laughing, after te diaper change Jay had handed the little boy over to Erin. Now that it was over the baby would cry when Erin tried to hand him off to anyone else.

"I think you are right, I just heard Platt say that social services won't be here for him till the morning. She was hoping that one of the night shift guys could take care of him while we go home." Jay said, he hated to leave the baby when it seemed like he had been left by all the people in his life already.

"Jay…I can't leave him. I know that someone will be here for him soon but until then he deserve someone to hold him. I will stay here with him in the break room but I just can't leave him, he deserves someone who will stay." Erin said looking down at this little baby who had barely been in the world and already no one wanted him.

"I had a feeling you woud say that so I set up the break room for the two of us tonight." Jay said smiling at his partner. There were many sides to Ern Lindsay and he had to admit that he loved every one of them.

"You're staying with me?" Erin asked surprised that Jay would be willing to stay up all night to watch this baby with her.

"I can't leave you alone, I'm your backup remember?" Jay said taking his partner by the hand and leading her upstairs.

 **Should I continue? Or just leave it?**


	2. Chapter 2

"Erin you need to wake up." Jay whispered to his partner when the sun light from the window was streaming in and shining in his face. Erin was currently still asleep in a chair with the baby still in her arms also sound asleep.

"Not now." Erin said with her eyes still closed. Somehow her and Jay made it through the night with the baby. She could feel herself getting more attached to the baby as the hours went on and now by morning she couldn't imagine how hard it will be on her to give him away.

"Social services called, they will be here within the hour." With that Jay got to the task of making a bottle for the baby and getting a coffee for himself and his partner. He knew Erin was getting attached because he was too.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Where are you taking him?" Jay asked the social worker once they arrived at the district. Erin was still sitting in the chair holding the baby in her arms just staring at the boy.

"Well he will be placed in an emergency home – sort of like a place children go for 24 hours until we can find foster parents that are willing to take them." Erin nodded at what the social worker was saying but the words were not registering to her. She could not understand what this child did to be alone in the world already at less than 6 months old.

"Do you know anything about this baby?" Erin broke her trace for a moment. She wanted to know everything about this baby. She had spent almost 24 hours with this baby and he had already changed her life. She didn't even know his name or how old her was but somehow she felt so connected

"Unfortunately many safe heaven babies never have much known about them. When they get adopted they get names and a full medical history will be done once I take him to the hospital after this." The social worker explained reaching her the baby. Erin couldn't bring herself to place the baby in her waiting arms. She exchanged a look with Jay and he nodded.

"We'll take him."

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Jay can we talk?" Erin asked her partner as she walked back into the break room after freshening up in the locker room. She was bracing herself for a conversation that had the possibility to change everything.

"Yeah I think that we do." Jay smiled down at the baby who was now whimpering to go back to Erin. Somehow this child knew that she was back and he would only be comfortable if she was the one with him.

"When I said we would take the baby I didn't mean that we would take him to med. I meant that we would take him home." Erin explained as she reached for the baby. In this moment she couldn't look at Jay. She wanted him to be there with her on this but she didn't want to pressure him all at the same time.

"I know. I figured that out the moment you held the baby in your arms all night. We aren't foster parents though Erin. How are we going to do this?" Jay wanted a family with Erin. He knew the first time they held hands that he would be with this person for the rest of his life. She was it for him and he wanted to do everything in life with her.

"We can figure all that out later. I just can't let him go into the system Jay. He needs someone on his side because no one else wants him." Erin choked up a bit explaining her intentions. She knew that she was reflecting what Voight had done with her all those years ago but it just felt right.

"Alright then, let's take him to med and figure it all out." Jay said to his partner. He was so in love with all that Erin Lindsay did. She had no idea how much she amazed him and everyone else. To him she was just perfect.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"So the baby is with Nat now and she is checking him out. You can go back whenever you like." April explained to the detectives as they paced in the ED waiting for news in the baby that was taken from them after he started to cry whenever someone tried to touch him who wasn't Jay or Erin.

"I can't wait for this to be over. Did you see how sad he looked when we were asked to leave?" Erin sighed. She knew that the baby would probably never remember this moment but his crying face and arms reaching out for her as she was forced to walk away was one that was now permanently in her mind.

"Hey he'll be ok. The kid is tough already and with us by his side he'll be set." Jay smiled at Erin. He was a bit unsure of how this whole thing would but he knew that his partner and himself were willing to figure it all out.

"I love you." Erin blurted out and quickly covered up her face. Her and Jay had said it to one another before but she was still a bit embarrassed to say it in public places.

"I love you too." Jay said kissing her head and leading her back to where the baby was waiting.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"So I talked to CPS and they say that they are willing to go through the process of foster care with you two. They say that since you have been with the child already that it makes sense for you two to just stay with him. I started filling out your paperwork in order to take him home with you but you two just need to sign a couple of things." Platt barked over the phone to Erin. She was glad that they two detectives were taking care of this child but she also knew that they had a lot coming their way.

"Ok we will come back to the district after this." Erin said shutting her phone off just as Natalie walked in ready to give them news.

"Alright so it looks like this little guy just turned 6 months old. It also looks like wherever he was didn't provide him with the best care. Abuse is present with bruises along his ribs as though someone struck him with something multiple times." Natalie pointed on the scans to the areas she was talking about and all Jay and Erin could do was stare, they were st8unned that someone would do this to the sweet child that was now in their care.

"He'll be ok though right?" Jay asked rubbing a hand out the baby's head as though promising that he would forever take care of this little person.

"Yeah, you two seem to have that covered." Natalie smiled and then excused herself out of the room.

"So CPS is willing to let us take the baby but we just have to go through a process with them. We have to have the apartment checked for safety and they need to do an interview with us." Erin relayed the message to Jay and she held the child closer to her chest.

"I'll do anything we need to do. This little guy is stuck with us now." Jay said confirming everything that Erin was thinking already.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I will updating this story pretty regularly this week but I am going to Cuba for a week after so there will be a break. I am so thankful for all the supportive! If you have suggestion for the name of the baby send them in. Thanks again and enjoy!**

"Alright so let's take this little guy home." Jay announced putting the car seat in the back of the car. The team had been informed about what they had decided to do with the baby and they had all agreed that it was the best thing. All the members started to bring things over that Jay and Erin would need for the baby.

"Yeah we have a lot to talk about." Erin said smiling as she looked in the rearview mirror to see the little boy asleep in the back. She imagined this with Jay happening one day but she never thought that she would be in this position so quickly.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"So I am going to call Will over for a bit so he can help me set all this up." Jay said looking at all the pieces of the crib that were laying around him. Antonio dropped off the old cribs that his kids used but now it was up to Jay to put it up.

"I can help you with that if you want." Erin smirked at Jay who had been getting more frustrated the more he tried to put the crib together.

"I doubt that the baby would like that very much." Jay said motioning towards the baby that was strapped to Erin's chest. The poor little guy only seemed to be at peace if he was in the arms of Erin.

"I was thinking that we should probably decide what to call this little guy. Social services said that the name is up to us because the adoptive parents will probably want to change it anyway." Erin said gazing down at the baby sleeping against her. She could feel their heartbeats syncing up and the feeling was just magical to her.

"I guess you're right. What names did you have in mind?" Jay asked then going back to the pieces of the crib trying to fit them together. He knew that the baby would be adopted soon but he did want the kid to know that he was cared for by the two detectives and giving him a name just seemed right.

"I don't have a clue. How about I list off some names and you tell me what you think." Erin suggested. She was never the girl who picked out the names of her future children when she was little because she never thought she would make it to a point in her life where children would even be in her mind.

"Sounds good to me." Jay said as he held up the instructions that Antonio said went with the crib but Jay was starting to doubt that.

"What about Mason?" Erin said humming softly to the baby while Jay mulled the name over.

"I'm not a huge fan." Jay said making a face at the thought of having to call the child Mason – it just didn't seem like the right fit.

"Carter" Erin suggested again.

"Again I don't think that it fits the kid." Jay said sighing and finally texting his brother to come and help him.

"Then what do you suggest because you don't seem to like anything I have said." Erin said rolling her eyes at Jay.

"Okay how about we each make a list of 3 names and we can have Will and the team vote on them." Jay said not realizing how hard picking out a name for a child really was.

"Fine. I want you and I to say them out loud though just so I know you don't have terrible taste in names." Erin teased. She knew that Jay wouldn't pick out awful names but she was curious about what he was thinking.

"Alright names for a boy: Caleb, Nathan, or Jack." Jay said listing off names that he thought would fit the baby best.

"Mine will be Landon, Eli, or Gavin." Erin said smiling that Jay had been able to think of those names so quickly.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"So where did Erin and the little guy go?" Will asked his brother as he wiped his brow. The two brothers had been setting up the spare room in the apartment as the baby's room for what felt like hours. They had finally put together the crib and everything else.

"The little guy needs to eat Will and last I checked formula wasn't around the kitchen." Jay said to his brother enjoying giving him a hard time.

"I just can't believe the two of you did this. Taking a baby in is a big step in a relationship." Will said, he knew that Jay was in love with Erin but he never knew that they were this serious.

"You have to see this kid Will. He just fits with us and he loves Erin already. We're just giving the kid a chance since no one else has." Jay realized just how defensive he sounded. It was crazy to think that less than 48hours ago he and Erin were drinking beer and watching the hockey game alone and now they were building baby stuff and getting baby food.

"Jay I don't want to make this hard on you but that baby won't stay here forever, you guy realize that right?" Will hated to ruin the mood that was going on but he didn't want Jay or Erin to get hurt in the long run. Reality was that the baby would be adopted and leave their lives.

"Will I realize that I do but for right now the kid is staying with us. For a few weeks at least you're going to be a temporary uncle." Jay said. He didn't want to think about giving the baby away when it seemed like the baby just got here.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Do you think that he's going to be okay?" Erin said as Jay and her got ready for bed. The baby was in the room next door asleep for the past hour. She was finally able to put him down without the baby crying.

"He's asleep now Erin and besides we'll be able to hear if with the monitor." Jay said getting into bed waiting for Erin to snuggle up beside him. They were both tired after the long day that they both had been through.

"That's not what I mean Jay. I mean will he be okay in life? Will he be okay with all of this?" Erin said worrying already about the fate of this little baby she felt so close to.

"He has us Erin. I think that's a pretty good deal." Jay said kissing her before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey babe, I have to stop by the district to finish up some paperwork. Do you think that you would be able to look after the little monster for a while?" Erin asked Jay through the bathroom door. The two of them made it through their first night with the baby at the apartment and overall it was pretty uneventful.

"Yeah I am done in here. Do you have a guess as to when you'll be home?" Jay asked. He was little nervous to be alone with the baby. This little guy had a special likely for Erin and without her he was scared to see what would happen.

"I shouldn't be more than three hours. I made bottles for you and the baby is sleeping right now. He should be up in about twenty minutes.

"OK, and if you happen to want to do my paper work while you're there you could always do mine." Jay opened up the door revealing him standing there in a towel. He kissed Erin goodbye and before he knew what was happening she swiped his towel and giggled on her way out.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hey there little buddy I thought I heard you calling for me." Jay said walking into the baby's room after he heard his cries from the living room.

"What is all the fuss about? I just changed you a couple of minute ago and you don't need to be fed for a little while longer. Did you just miss me?" Jay smiled at the baby who was staring at him as if he was trying to capture all the words that were being said to him.

He picked up the baby and held him. The cries just got worse which caused Jay to panic a little bit. He tried to think of what Erin did to the baby to soothe him when he just cried. Suddenly he remembered something that Natalie mentioned to them while they were in the hospital.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"How are you doing kid?" Voight asked Erin as she focused on filling out all the paperwork that was in front of her. Some of it was from cases that they were wrapping up but most of it was papers which would register her and Jay as foster parents.

"I mean it's only been like two days but Jay and I are already tired. The kid is great but he just doesn't seem to like to be alone at night. It's like he's scared that if we aren't in the room with him it's like we're going to leave him." Erin rambled on to her boss and father figure. Throughout the night, the baby would cry until someone would come up to him and hold him for a while.

"The kid is smart like you already. He's been alone so much already Erin. Just give the kid all the love you can." Voight said rubbing her shoulder knowing that this journey would not be an easy one but Erin was never one to back down from a challenge.

"Thanks, it's just crazy to think about how fast things have changed. Most couples get months to prepare for a baby but Jay and I jumped head first into this. It's great that he's on board but neither of us have any idea what we're doing." Erin sighed, this kid was every she never knew she wanted but it was just happening so quickly.

"I'll let you know a little secret. No parent knows what they're doing. All the preparation in the world doesn't help when you have a screaming kid who won't stop no matter what you do. Just take it one day at a time and know you have all the support in the world. Does the baby have a name yet?" Voight knew that Erin and Jay were suited for this but they each just didn't realize it yet.

"Jay and I have a couple ideas in mind but nothing for sure yet. I think we're trying to get a feel for the kid before we try to label him with a name for the rest of his life." As soon as the words were out of Erin's mouth a feeling came over her. The baby may not be in her life forever, she didn't even know if he would still be in her life in a month from now.

"Well you will figure it out eventually and when you do tell us because I'm sick and tired of the team trying to figure out what it will be." With that Voight left Erin to fill out the rest of her paper work and get back to the people that she left at the apartment whom she left hours ago.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hey honey I'm home." Erin announced as she pushed the door open into the place that she and Jay had been calling home. As soon as she was in the hallway she realized just how quiet it was. Thinking that the baby was asleep she stayed quiet as she tried to see where her partner was.

She smiled when she stumbled upon her partner laying on the couch shirtless with a baby clothed in only a diaper sleeping soundly on the couch. She took a quick picture knowing that moments like this would not always happen. She then crouched down and kissed both Jay and the baby on the forehead.

"Hey, you're home." Jay said holding the baby a little closer as he started to wake up. The two of them had quite the time without Erin. It wasn't until he had skin to skin contact with the baby that the little guy started to calm down

"Looks like the two of you were having the best time before I got here." Erin smiled taking the bay from Jay so he could sit up.

"Yeah – by the way I think that I figured out the name of the kid." Jay said hoping that Erin would be in board with the name he thought of during the time he was walking around with the baby.

"What's that?" Erin smiled. After her talk with Voight she thought that it was time that the baby had a name and she was more than willing to agree with whatever Jay suggested.

"Caleb Benjamin Lindsay." Jay said holding his breath hoping that Erin didn't hate the idea.

"I like it but I think it should be Caleb Benjamin Halstead." Looking at the baby the name just seemed to fit.

"Really my last name?" Jay was surprised. He thought that Erin would want the baby to have her last name since she was the one that wanted to keep him in the first place.

"Well it's not like Lindsay will be my last name forever." Erin smiled.

"True it's just a matter of time before you're a Halstead." With that Jay put the baby in the swing that was nearby, kissed Erin and started making dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I am going on vacation tomorrow and had some last-minute things to take care of. Since I missed yesterday and won't update at all next week (I'm going away!) I will try to give you guys 2 chapters today. As always thank you for the support it means the world to me!**

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hey baby, do you think that we can take Caleb into the district with us? This week has been slow and I miss the little guy when we're away. Plus the sitter has something to do today and we don't have anyone else." Erin asked Jay, they had been taking care of Caleb for about two weeks now and they had fallen into a routine. The two of them would drop Caleb off with a sitter while they were at work and then they spent their nights with him.

"I mean you are Voight's favourite so if he has a problem with it then I am going to make you deal with it." Jay said tucking the baby into the car seat and gathering up the diaper bag. He was surprised how easy it was for him and Erin to take this one; it was like they were meant to take care of this little guy.

"I think I can handle that. Besides who could resist this face." Erin said gazing at the baby who smiled up at her. The smiling and the giggling was something that just started. The first time it happened Jay had done something that made her laugh and then all of the sudden Caleb joined in which caused the pair to laugh even more.

CPDCPDCPDCPDPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hey you guys! Did you bring me a visitor?" Platt said with her voice raising into baby talk as Jay placed Caleb on the counter so the little guy could see what was going on. The baby looked around and settled his eyes back on Erin who was smiling at him.

"Yeah we did, the sitter bailed on us so we're hoping Voight will be ok with him staying with us." Erin explained smirking to see that Platt was making faces at the baby who was smiling at her in return.

"Well if he has a problem with it then I can watch him. I'll just put him behind the desk and if needed I can get one of the officers on break to deal with him." Platt said, she didn't have kids but she could imagine what a struggle it was to be a cop and a parent. Plus Jay and Erin had taken in this baby from the goodness of their hearts which made her want to give back.

"Thanks Platt." Jay called taking the baby upstairs after opening up the gate.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Did we miss the memo saying it was take your kid to work day?" Ruzek asked smiling at the baby. The team was in love with Caleb and had seen him a couple of times over the past few weeks.

"It's more like the sitter bailed and now we're stuck so we brought the kid to work with us." Jay said as he took Caleb out of his car seat and held him. It wasn't long until Al came over and took the baby. Surprisingly he was one of the few people Caleb would allow to hold him with Jay and Erin in the same room. Caleb was very attached to Jay and Erin and he would cry if people tried to hold him while they were in his line of sight.

"Well I will take this little guy while you guys go talk to Voight about this." Al said walking with Caleb to show him around the intelligence area. He missed having a child this small at home but it was also nice to be able to give Caleb to Jay or Erin when he got cranky.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hank can we talk to you for a second?" Erin asked as she knocked on the door which lead to Hank's office.

"Oh no if this is where you two tell me you're either getting married or having a baby I am not going to be on board with this." Voight said smiling but crossing his arms at the same time. It wasn't that he wasn't on board with the relationship Erin and Jay had, he just wished that Jay would have asked him before taking it to the next level.

"Stop it's nothing like that. Besides if I was getting married to Jay I would be smart enough to not send him in here with me." Erin said, she knew that Voight was just being protective but having him interfere with her relationship was not something she was about to allow.

"Yeah Sargent, we were just wondering if you would be ok with Caleb staying at the district with us today? The sitter bailed on us and the kid still isn't okay with most people yet." Jay tried to explain hoping his blush did not become too obvious. He wanted to take the next step with Erin but he also knew that it was too soon for him to be asking her any big questions.

"I guess that can happen but only this once. Babies do not belong at a police district. If this happens again one of you has to take the day off. Now let me go see this beautiful baby." Voight said. The statement about Caleb was true. Over the past weeks with Jay and Erin Caleb had blossomed. His dark eyes were now warm and happy. He seemed to be thriving now isn't of just surviving.

Exiting the office Voight went over to Al and took the baby from him. Caleb was still unsure about Voight but he was starting to warm up to the man who may become his grandfather one day.

"I still can't believe you two have a baby." Ruzek said slapping Jay on the back. He was happy for the couple but everyone in the until also knew that the baby could leave any day. CPS was waiting to interview some couples who were interested in adopting Caleb and giving him a permanent home.

"I told you that I could get Voight to agree to this." Erin said giving Jay's hand a quick squeeze before she got a bottle out for Voight to feed Caleb. It was strange but she felt as though she finally had a family which was something she never thought she would get.


	6. Chapter 6

"Babe I think that he's just getting worse. I'll head to the store and grab some medicine. Will also said that he would stop by and check him out when he gets off shift." Jay said kissing both Erin and the baby before he left. Caleb somehow caught a cold and had keeping Erin and Jay quite worried. He was not sleeping and fussing when he was usually calm plus he had a cough that broke his foster parents heart.

"Sounds good I am going to try and get him down for a nap." Erin said. She was dressed in yoga pants and one of Jay's t-shirts which she had been in for what felt like days. Her and Jay had taken turns staying home with Caleb trying to get him to sleep, eat, or even just calm down.

"I won't be too long, and if you get him down then I want you to try and sleep too." Jay said knowing that Erin was just as worried about the little guy as he was. More than once over the past few days he had caught her with her brow scrunched up staring at the baby. He knew that was what she looked like when she was worried.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Alright little man I think that you and I should try and get some sleep." Erin said hating the fact that she could feel how hot Caleb was when she held him to his chest. They had taken him to see a doctor but it was not helpful.

Erin began to pace back and forth thinking that the motion would get Caleb to sleep. This s what she usually did when he wouldn't sleep. The two of them would walk and she would hum eventually lulling him to sleep.

After spending quite a bit of time of pacing Erin's legs grew tried and Caleb was still fussing. She then thought that sitting in the rocking chair might be the solution. Jay was the one who usually rocked Caleb late at night when the baby got up and Jay told her go back to sleep. More than once she discovered the two of them asleep in the chair in the morning.

"Caleb bud you're killing me a little bit here. I just wish I could make you feel better but I just don't know how. You have to understand I have never done this before. I looked after my brother when I was little but I never had someone like you just need me so much. I love that you need me and I think I needed you too but I never realized it until you came into my life." Erin said to Caleb as she rocked him back and forth. It appeared like he was starting to fall asleep so she continued to talk. She told him about everything and nothing. Soon enough Caleb was asleep and so was she.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

Jay was at the store looking at all the medicines in the aisle. This was taking longer than he expected since he didn't realize how much variety there was. There was dye free, stuff that was flavoured or not, just so many thing he never knew existed.

He was torn between two brands not knowing which would be better. They each seemed to do the same thing but the last thing he wanted was to get the wrong one and have Caleb not get better or get worse.

"First time dad?" A lady asked Jay when she saw him looking at two different packages.

"Is it that obvious?" Jay laughed not knowing if he should explain that Caleb wasn't his child but was all at the same time.

"Just a little, let me guess. The baby has been up for days you and your wife have no idea what to do and whatever you do decide to do never helps?" The lady said catching Jay off guard. It was like she was describing his life over the past few days. He and Erin were driving themselves crazy trying to think of all the thing they could do so Caleb would feel better.

"Pretty much, I just want the little guy to feel better but I don't know how." Jay said putting the medicine back and rubbing his hands through his hair. He was worried about Caleb and Erin so much. The baby was sick and Erin was about to get herself sick from all the worrying that she had been doing due to looking after Caleb.

"Listen take this and if he has a cough run a shower and stand with him in the steam." The lady said handing Jay a package of medicine and leaving the aisle. As she walked away she smiled thinking back to a time when she was that first-time parent worried sick about the baby at home who was sick and everything just seemed like it wasn't working.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

There was a knock at the door that woke Erin up. She was confused as to what was going on but she got up holding Caleb in her arms. On her way to the door she saw the time and realized that she had only been asleep for half an hour. She wondered where Jay was but decided that he probably stopped to pick up a few things.

"Maybe Uncle Will is here to help you feel better now Caleb." Erin whispered to the baby who had managed to stay asleep through the knocking. She guessed that the baby was so tired after staying up all night that he would sleep through anything at this point. Without glancing through the peephole Erin unlocked the door and opened it up. Once she took in who was standing at her door she had to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Erin…" The person at the door started to speak before they were cut off by Erin.

"Bunny what the hell do you want?" Erin said closing the door slightly so she could shield Caleb from her mother.


	7. Chapter 7

"Word on the street was that my daughter had a baby but I knew that couldn't be true because you would at least have the decency to tell l your mother about that. After everything we have been through together I would hope that you would want me to be there for you and the baby especially from what I can see Jay is nowhere to be seen." Bunny said slurring her words slightly as she continued her rant. Erin braced herself for whatever Bunny was preparing to throw at her next. She hated her mother but also cared about her.

"Bunny you need to go." Erin said trying to close the door but before she had the chance Bunny burst through the door and saw Erin standing there pressing Caleb to her chest.

"So, people were right; looks like my daughter is nothing but a slut who opened up her legs and got stuck with a responsibility that she can't handle." Bunny said attempting to steal the baby out of Erin's arms and hold the baby herself.

"What can I say? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Erin said, before she could get in another word Will walked into the apartment after he heard Erin yelling in the hallway.

"Who the hell is this? I guess Jay finally gave up on you so you decide to go find a new man. Well I do have to say honey you have great taste in men." Bunny screamed at Will who was slowly trying to figure out the situation in front of him. It was in that moment that Caleb decided to wake up and start screaming.

Before he knew what he was doing Will grabbed the baby from Erin and led Bunny out of the apartment. Then Erin was silent as she walked into the room that she shared with Jay and locked the door.

"What the hell just happened?" Will whispered to himself as he tried to rock Caleb back into a calmer state.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hey baby I'm sorry I am late. I was at the store and there was so much choice plus I knew we needed a couple things so I got those too. Don't be mad either because I picked up that ice cream that you like." Jay announced after he unlocked the door and walked into the hallway. As he put down his keys and began to walk into the kitchen he knew something was wrong. The environment felt very tense and Erin or the baby were no where to be seen.

"Erin?!" Jay yelled starting to feel a panic set in. He knew that it is a possibility that he was overreacting but with the dangerous nature of their jobs Jay couldn't help but worry. There were a lot of people in the city who were against them.

"Jay man you have to be quiet. I just got Caleb to sleep and Erin is being weird and locked herself in your room and hasn't been out and I just don't know what to do." Will said stepping out of the room that Caleb was now sleeping in. he was still concerned about Erin but he also knew that Jay had to be the one that took care of her.

"What the hell do you mean? Is Erin hurt?" Jay could see the worry on his brothers face which only made his worry increase.

"I don't know man. I got here and I heard yelling coming from the apartment so I used the key you gave me to get in and Erin is having this screaming match with this lady who is calling Erin some terrible things." Will explained to Jay who immediately knew who was at the apartment.

"Dammit Bunny was here." Jay said knowing how much her mother could tear Erin down.

"Wait that was Bunny? The crazy lady who somehow created Erin?" Will had heard about Bunny in passing but he had never seen her or what she did to Erin.

"Can you keep an eye on Caleb while I try to help Erin? Is the kid okay?" Jay asked hoping that Caleb was fine and he could focus his attention on helping Erin.

"Caleb is fine, he has a minor cold but with rest and the medicine you got he should be back to himself within the next few days. If he gets a fever call me or bring him into med." Will instructed to Jay who was nodding at him before he went to check on Erin.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Babe…. I'm home now, do you think that you can let me in?" Jay knocked on the door and waited for Erin to answer him. He had seen what Bunny could do to Erin and he wanted nothing more than to protect her from that but he just didn't know how. Suddenly the door was opening and Erin walked back to the bed where it looked like she had spent the last hour or so curled up.

"Er I don't know what to tell you." Jay said getting in the bed and lying beside Erin. He never tried to touch her when she was like this because he had learned that sometimes holding her only made things worse.

"She was drunk and probably high Jay. She found out about Caleb. I'm sorry." Erin knew that both her and Jay wanted Bunny to be as far away from Caleb as they could get her. Erin felt like she had failed Caleb by having Bunny involved in his life.

"Erin you didn't do anything wrong. You and I both knew that Bunny just has a way of showing up in our lives. As long as we protect Caleb from the world that Bunny lives in he will be ok. He has you looking out for him and in my opinion that is one of the best things in the world." With that Erin turned over and hugged Jay. She could not believe that she had found this wonderful man who loved her.

"She thinks that the baby is mine – she called me a slut for having a baby and the father not being involved." Erin cried. She hated that Bunny somehow also had the means to tear down all that she had rebuilt time after time.

"She's right. That baby is yours Erin, he became ours the moment we took him home. But Bunny is wrong about one thing; there is no way that you will ever have to raise a child without me." Jay held onto Erin tighter. He knew that she needed him right now but the minute she was back to being herself he was going to have a chat with Bunny.

"Are you saying that you want to have babies with me Jay Halstead?" Erin smiled slightly at him. They had talked about the future but never so out in the open before.

"I'd be crazy if I didn't." Jay said kissing her lips.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a couple of weeks since Bunny had paid Erin a late-night visit and she was slowly coming back to her old self. She knew that Bunny was just saying things to try to make Erin upset but she also knew that her mother's words were sticking with her. Her and Jay were also trying to navigate the process of figuring out how to keep Caleb happy and healthy.

"Hey kid, how are you doing?" Voight asked Erin causing her to snap out of the thoughts that were filling her head. He knew that Bunny had stopped by the apartment but not because Erin had told him, Jay had been the one to phone him late that night explaining why Erin would probably need the day off.

"Hanging in there. Caleb is getting more active around the apartment with all the crawling he has been doing lately." Erin smiled, that baby was the one thing other than her partner who could get her to smile despite all the things in her life that were causing her stress.

"Before you know it he'll be walking. Listen there is something that I have to tell you. The case that we have been working on – the one with the drug dealer using kid to push drugs – Jay has been sent undercover." Voight said which immediately caused Erin to tense up. She hated it when Jay went undercover without her. He was her partner and it was her job to be his back up.

"For how long? When does he leave?" Erin said trying to think of how she would manage without Jay if he would be forced to be away from here for an extended period of time.

"At least a couple of weeks and he was sent out earlier. He tried to tell you but orders came from the Commander. There was nothing anyone could do to try to get someone else." Voight patted Erin on the shoulder knowing that this was going to be hard on here. Ashe would never admit it to anyone but Erin needed Jay just like how he needed her.

"We'll have contact with him though right?" Erin asked hoping that there was a chance that she would be able to reach Jay if something happened.

"I don't know kid." Voight said in a gruff voice before he left Erin alone to try and figure out what she was going to do.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Listen you need a night out. So, Voight agreed to watch the baby while we all have a girl's night out." Kim told Erin as she tried to force the other detective out of the apartment. Erin had been trying to just get through the days without Jay as quickly as she could.

"Kim, I really just want to be at home with Caleb. He is getting really fussy without Jay around now and I don't want to make it worse for him." Erin said lying to Kim. Caleb was doing a lot better than she was without Jay. She had been having trouble sleeping at night knowing that her partner could be in trouble and she would have no idea about it.

"No don't use that very innocent and cute baby as an excuse. I know you are just going to watch bad TV and probably eat ice cream." Kim said not taking no for answer. After a bit more convincing Erin and Kim were on their way to meet up with the other girls.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

Jay had been undercover for two weeks before he started to make any real progress on the case. He was just starting to make sense of how kids were being brainwashed into trafficking drugs all over the city. He felt like he could bust this case in another few weeks which made him quite happy. He missed Erin and Caleb but he also knew that if he contacted him there was a chance that he was putting them in danger.

"Jake, we need you out here." Quinton hollered at Jay who was under was Jake Goldsberry a well-known drug dealer from Atlanta who came to Chicago because he heard that the drugs and girls were able to make his dreams come true.

Quickly Jay made his way to where Quinton was standing and before he knew what was going on a shot rang out and he fell to the floor.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"I just don't understand how you two do it. You have a great relationship and a baby and everything." A very drunk Kim told Erin. They were all trying to make Erin feel better by getting her to see how much she and Jay had going for them.

"Jay is great but all this talk is just making me miss him more. I don't know how people do this all the time. I never used to be this girl who missed a guy when he wasn't around but somewhere along the line Jay Halstead just got under my skin." Erin said before she was interrupted by her phone ringing. She thought that it might be Hank telling her that Caleb was giving him grief. She had told him to call her if he needed a break or if something happened.

"Hello?" Erin waited to hear a baby crying in the background but instead it was filled with what sounded like people running.

"Erin, you need to get down to Med as soon as you can. It's Jay." Will yelled into the phone. He called Erin as soon as he was kicked out of the room that his brother was being treated in. He had just started his shift when Maggie called out there was a GSW coming in and within seconds Jay was being wheeled in.

"Is he okay? What the hell happened?" Erin yelled trying to get her coat on and run out of the bar all at the same time. Kim quickly followed her out not knowing what was going on with her friend.

"Erin it doesn't look good – just get here as soon as you can." Before Erin could say or ask anything else the line went dead. She was left there standing on the sidewalk trying to get a cab to take her to the hospital.


	9. Chapter 9

Erin held her breath as she ran through the door which led into Med. She was greeted by the faces of people waiting to receive care but she had her sights set on one thing only – Jay. During her search for her partner April found her.

"Erin, you should come with me." April said taking Erin by the arm and leading her towards the ED.

"I need to see Jay – Will said that he was in here and I just…. what the hell happened?" Erin felt like she was living a nightmare. She prayed that she would wake up in her bed with Jay beside her in a matter of minutes. As much as she tried to will herself awake Erin knew that this was real life.

"I will take you to Will and he will explain everything. Jay is in the OR now." April said handing Erin off to Will who was pacing outside the OR where his brother was currently being operated on.

"Will!" Erin called out to Jay's brother who met her gaze. The first thing that Erin noticed was how red Will's eyes were and then how his hands were just as red.

"Erin, where were you? When Jay was brought in I thought that you would be right there but you weren't." Will wasn't angry at Erin; he knew that she was barely keeping herself together in this moment.

"He was undercover trying to get a drug bust. What the hell happened?" Erin asked trying to prepare herself for the worst of what was about to happen.

"Look like he was shot in the chest. Since he was undercover I guess that explains why he wasn't wearing a vest. The bullet is next to his heart so Connor is trying to remove it now. The main thing we are worried about is the amount of blood he was lost." Will said slipping into his professional headspace in order to give Erin the information she needed. It was easier to explain things as if Jay were a different patient not his little brother.

"Ok I should call the team." Erin nodded hating herself for the tears that were falling in front of Will. She was strong and she would only allow herself to break down in front of a select few.

"Ok I will find you if anything chances." Will said to Erin as she waked away to inform her team about what was going on.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Hey kid! Are you calling to check up on me?" Hank laughed watching Caleb sleep soundly in his crib.

"Hank something happened. J-Jay has been shot." Erin spoke the words and it felt like the air in her lungs were being sucked out. She could only think of her partner and the little baby at home who had come to rely on the man as much as she had.

"I'll be right there." Voight barked into the phone. He hung up and began to get the baby ready to go to med. He knew that Erin would want to be near Caleb during his time and he needed to get to the district in order to catch the SOB who did this to his officer.

CPDCPDCDPCDCPDCPDCPD

Erin was sitting in the hallway where Will was still waiting. Her team had come to the hospital once they had heard what had happened. No one had any answers as to how this happened or as to who did it. Caleb was with Kim who offered to take him while Erin waited for Jay.

"He loves you, you know that right? He loves you and that baby so much." Will said out of nowhere. He was trying to peak into the OR in order to catch a glimpse as to what was going on.

"Yeah, I know, I love him too. I love him to much that if he dies I just might curl up and die alongside him." Erin said sadly. She couldn't help but blame herself for all of this. She was his partner and she wasn't there to have his back.

"You can't do that. Jay would hate that. He wants you to have the best life and God all he wanted was to be a part of it." Will said smiling recalling all the time his brother bragged about Erin and all that she meant to him.

"He has to be ok Will – he just has to." Erin said standing up and hugging the older Halstead brother. The two of them just stood there trying to hold each other together while everything they knew was falling apart.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Well he made it through the surgery. He did lose a lot of blood and we did have to shock him back a couple of times. The next few hours will be the worst. If he can make it through the night he should be out of the woods." Connor said taking off his masks as he came face to face with Erin and Will. The two of the sighed with relief as soon as they heard that Jay was alive.

"Can I see him?" Erin asked. She needed to see Jay for herself in order to judge if he was in fact ok or not.

"Once he is in the ICU you can go see him. For now, I suggest that you take a trip home, shower, take Caleb with you. It will be a while before Jay is awake." Connor said as he patted Will on the back and walked away.

"I can stay with him until you get back. Connor is right though you should take Caleb home. Nat and I will come by after work to look after him if you want." Will said seeing the conflicting emotions across Erin's face.

"Thanks Will. I will go home grab a couple of things and settle Caleb in for the night. Call me if anything changes." Erin said hugging him once again before she set out to see Caleb and take him home.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

The team stood up as soon as they saw Erin coming towards them.

"He's out of surgery now and being moved up to the ICU. Will is with him right now. I am going to take Caleb home and then Nat and Will are coming by to watch him." Erin said reaching for the sleeping baby who was in Al's arms.

"I'll come with you so as soon as you're done getting everything that you need you can come back here without worrying about the baby." Kim spoke up already grabbing the bag and car seat for Caleb.

"Thank you, guys." Erin said hugging all the members of her team before ending with Hank.

"I promise we will find whoever did this." Hank said to Erin.

"I want you to kill them." Erin whispered to him before heading out of the hospital.


	10. Chapter 10

Erin had returned to Jay as soon as she could. Will was now with Caleb for the night so she was relieved she did not have to worry about that. Now all she could do was wait; the doctors had told her that Jay could be out for a couple more hours but they couldn't be sure. So, she planted herself in a chair beside him and watched him. She tried to take in everything about her partner; the way he looked, the sound of his breathing, the feel of his hand in hers.

"Erin, you should really try to sleep. I'm sure Jay will stay asleep for at least a couple more hours. You need to be alert when he is awake. Don't let all of this get to you." April popped into the room checking in on Jay and on Erin. Her team was still in the waiting room hoping that once Jay woke up they could start investigating who did this to one of their own. Erin was starting to show the exhaustion she was feeling. Her eyes had bags under them as well as being red from the crying that had taken place in the last few hours.

"I can't do that. If roles were reversed we both know that Jay would not be sleeping until I was awake. This man would do everything in his power to stay with me so I am going to do the same thing for him." Erin said smiling down at the man who loved her more than she would ever know. She also knew that she was lying to April; she was staying awake because she was worried but Erin also knew that if she was sleeping her nightmares would hit.

The nightmares were something that Erin had gotten used to after some bad childhood experiences as well as what she had seen as a cop. However, now that she was living with Jay the two of them always navigated their nightmares together and she didn't know if she would be able to deal with them without him.

CPDCPDCPDCPD

"Can you please wake up? I need to know that you are okay plus I really have to pee and you'll probably wake up then." Erin sighed. She had been at Jay's bedside for hours now and he was still asleep. The doctors assured her that he was fine and would wake up when he was ready. So to pass the time she had begun to talk to Jay after hearing the doctors mention that Jay could probably hear what was going on around him.

"You know even when you're sleeping you can still push my buttons." Erin laughed to herself and kissed the knuckles on Jay's hand which she had been clutching for hours. She didn't believe in God but she closed her eyes and wished to whatever force was out there that her partner would wake up.

"Someone has to." A rough voice range out and Erin jumped a mile. She had been so used to no one talking back to her that it took her a second to register that someone was finally answering her. She looked down at Jay and saw that his eyes were still closed.

"Jay?" Erin whispered just to be sure that he was actually talking to her and she was not just hearing things in her overtired state. She held her breath waiting to see what Jay would do next.

"Hey babe." Jay said with his voice still rough but his eyes fluttered open. He was dazed but the moment he heard Erin beside him he felt at ease. He looked at Erin and he knew that whatever happened to him was bad. She looked like she had been through hell and he hated himself for putting her through that. He was her back up and he had let her down.

"God, you scared me, if you ever do this again I may have to just shoot you myself." Erin said kissing Jay before he had a witty response to what she had said. She was so grateful that he was awake Erin could feel herself welling up with tears but Jay was there to wipe them away.

"I'm sorry." Jay said to her before the doctors came in and started to poke at him asking him various questions about his pain and what he remembered.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"I see that you finally sent Erin out of the room." Hank laughed when he came into the room to see that Jay was alone for the first time since he was brought in.

"Yeah I told her that I was hungry and wanted to see Caleb so she promised to get me some food and bring the kid with her." Jay said, in all honesty he was just getting a little tired of Erin being his nurse. He had never been a fan of having to rely on others and now was no different.

"So, you and I need to have a conversation about what went down when you got shot." Hank said sitting down next to Jay trying to prepare himself for whatever would come out of Jay's mouth.

"Serg it was weird. One moment everything is fine and the next they are calling me out to an alley where they just shoot me." Jay said trying to piece together the events of what happened slowly.

"Sounds about right so far, do you think that they made you?" Hank asked hoping that Jay was still able to go back in and solve this once this was over.

"That's that worst part. After I got shot I didn't pass out right away and I could hear them talking – Serg they talked about me and they were calling me Jay, they knew where I lived and that I was a cop. They knew everything." Jay said looking his leader in the eye trying to get across what he was saying with the intensity it called for. The people who shot him knew who he was and it was just a matter of time before they discovered his family.

"Now we have a problem…." Voight said sighing trying to figure out what he was going to do to stop the people who were after his team – his family.


	11. Chapter 11

"So, you're saying that somehow these people found out who Jay was and now they know about us." Erin asked Voight as they sat down in his office. It had been a couple of days since Jay had been shot and they were getting nowhere on the case. Jay was stuck at home until he was cleared for field duty; the bright side was that he got to spend all his time with Caleb.

"I don't want you to worry since we don't know for sure if they know about you and Caleb but there is that possibility. The only thing we know for sure is that these people know who Jay is and they have it out for him." Voight said handing Erin the very thin file that they had on the guys who were after Jay. All that the unit had discovered was that there was a group of ex-military men who had hired the gang Jay was undercover with to take shoot him. Other than that, the trail had gone cold to try and find out who was after Jay.

"I am not leaving Jay if that is your next suggestion. He is my partner Hank – in every sense of the word. He has been there for everything and this is just one thing he is going through. We are a family and I don't leave family behind." Erin stood up just to prove that she was going to stand by Jay on this one. She was sticking with her partner and everyone else could leave her alone.

"I wasn't going to say that. I know you Erin and I know that you don't give up on the people that you love. I was just going to tell you that you need to take some extra steps in your safety. You're my family Erin and I guess that Jay is part of my family now too." Voight said knowing that this team would do anything to protect this unit because they were more than a unit to him they were his family.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

"Erin I am just worried that something is going to happen to you and Caleb." Jay and Erin were currently having it out about him staying somewhere else until the guys who wanted him dead were off the streets.

"Jay, you and I have the habit of pushing the people we love away when things get hard. I am telling you that I am not going anywhere. I am fully in this; I am in love with you and I plan to be for the rest of my life so unless you don't feel that way too you are staying here." Erin tried to communicate just how much Jay meant to her. He wasn't going to leave and be alone in this. The two of them had been through too many hardships in life alone. She was going to be Jay as long as time would allow them. She was fully prepared to spend the rest of her life in love with Jay Halstead.

"Erin this is not about me not loving you with everything I have because I do. I have to go because I love you. I would die if something happened to you. These guys are not just the regular thus that you and I are used to. These are military men who know what they are doing. I can't be the reason that they get to you." Jay loved Erin more than anything but it was times like this when the two of them got into things that he realized just how much she could push him.

"Don't make this about protecting me. I am I grown woman who can take care of herself. I don't need you or anyone else to protect me. I know what I am getting into and I choose to be here." Erin yelled. She hated it when they fought but this fight was different than the others that they had in the past.

"What about Caleb? He doesn't get to say what he wants. That baby is innocent in everything Erin. I need him and you to be safe. I am going to go because I love you and I love him. So, for once stop being hard headed and just agree to do that ok?" Jay yelled back taking Erin back. She realized in that moment that it was no longer the two of them taking things on as a team. They had to think about a baby who was young and sweet and meant everything to them both.

CPDCPDCPDCPD

"Serg can I talk to you for a second?" Jay asked as he knocked on the door to Hank's office. He was about to inform Voight about the plan that he and Erin had decided on.

"Halstead come in. I think you and I both know what this will be about." Hank said gesturing for Jay to sit down across from him.

"Erin and I both think that it is best that I live somewhere else until this problem is solved. I still want to work when I cleared for duty but I just wouldn't be able to handle if anything happened to Erin or Caleb." Jay said knowing that Voight had already figured out that they were planning to go down this road.

"I think that is the best choice. Do you have a place set up or do you need me to help you find one?" Hank asked.

"I am going back to my old apartment. I know that it's risky but I also know how these guys think and they won't try to take me on in my own environment. There is one thing that I need from you though. You have to promise me that you will protect Erin and Caleb. Plus, if anything happens to them you need to call me right away." Jay said looking at Voight with all the emotions that he was trying to communicate.

"I promise."


	12. Chapter 12

It had been a couple of weeks since Jay was forced to leave Erin and Caleb behind. Voight had set him up in a safe house for the time being. Jay was driving himself crazy not being able to see Erin or see the baby that he had grown so found of. To his knowledge Voight was working on who shot him but things were coming to a standstill.

"Hey brother, how are you holing up?" Will was the only family that Jay had been inn contact with since the shooting. While Jay loved his brother, he was craving seeing Erin.

"Will, I am driving myself crazy. I miss the way Erin snores in her sleep or the way Caleb smells. I miss all the little things about my life. I feel like I'm hiding from my problems. These people have forced me to put my life on pause – I'm missing out on everything because of them." Jay ranted into the phone. Jay missed his life, it was like as soon as he was happy and content with things everything fell apart.

"Jay that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Voight and the team got a lead about the guys that did this to you…. the guy who did this to you are dead Jay." Will said. It was late last night when the cops brought in someone to the ED. It looked like this guy and his gang had engaged in a shootout with the police only to have the police shoot them all.

"Why are you the one calling me about this? Where are Erin and Voight?" Jay was so relieved to find out that the people who had shot him had been caught but the last thing he wanted was for them to die.

"They caught another case and there just wasn't enough time to tell you. You should go home Jay. Sleep in your own bed, see your kid." With that Will hung up the phone and Jay began to pack up his things.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDCPD

Jay hurried over to the apartment as soon as everything was packed up. He was ready to be in his old environment and see Caleb for the first time. He had picked Caleb up from the babysitter and the little guy was currently asleep in his carrier. It felt so good to have that baby beside him again.

Caleb had made his life with Erin complete. Jay was ready to have Erin as his wife and expand their family. As much as he wanted this he knew he had to take it slow. Erin wasn't the kind of girl who thought about her happily ever after. He had to go at her pace for the fear that she would cut and run if it was too much too fast.

"Alright buddy looks like it's just you and me. Let's see the damage you and Erin have done to the apartment while I was gone." Jay said as he unlocked the door and stepped inside of the apartment he considered home for the first time in what felt like forever.

As soon as he got inside the apartment Jay could tell that Erin had gone back to her ways. He was always the one who kept the place clean and got Erin to start to pick up after herself. Clothes were on the floor, dishes were in the sink, and all of Caleb's toys were littered all over the floor.

"Nothing like coming home to the familiar right." Jay said to the baby that was now in his arms. Before he put Caleb down for his nap Jay rocked him in his arms trying to take in all of the features he had missed. Caleb was getting bigger, he was trying to babble and Jay was so relieved that it seemed as though Caleb remembered who he was.

It felt like forever Jay sat there rocking the baby in his arms. Caleb had fallen asleep rather quickly but Jay was just absorbed in him. Finally, he got up and put him in his crib. It was in that moment that Jay knew that this is what his life was supposed to be like. He wanted a family and he wanted it with Erin.

After putting the baby down Jay started the task of cleaning up the place. He got the kitchen back in the way it was. He was on his third load of laundry and started tackling putting everything away. He noticed that the shirts that he left here were among the ones that needed to be washed. He smiled to himself realizing tat Erin must have been wearing his shirts to bed.

CPDCPDCPDCPDCPDDCPD

Erin was drained. She needed to stop by the apartment to change her clothes which were gross from her long work day before she went to pick up Caleb. As soon as she got in the apartment she knew someone was there. Things were not where she left them. Immediately she pulled her gun and went looking for who was in her house.

"Easy there killer." Jay appeared in the kitchen with his hands up. Erin could not believe it. She was planning on calling him later tonight to tell him the good news.

"You're home? Who told you? You're really here?" Erin said putting her gun down and rushing to him to hug him. As soon as his arms were around her Erin could feel the stress melting away. This is what she had been missing most while Jay was away. She missed the way she could come up behind him in the morning while he was cooking and kiss his back. She missed finding him asleep on the couch with Caleb on his chest.

"I see that you missed me." Jay said as he nuzzled into her hair. He was so happy in this moment he wanted to capture it forever.

"Shut up and kiss me." Erin laughed at him. Just as their lips were about to connect there was a a knock at the door.

"I am going to kill whoever that is." Jay said as he walked over to the door prepared to tell whoever was at the door to go to hell.

When he opened the door, there was a woman standing there that he did not recognize.

"Hi, I hate to do this, but I think you have my son. I found out you're his foster parents and I'm here to take him back."


End file.
